A digital audio recording of an interview with William Wilson conducted by Jonathan Katz in 2012. Wilson talks about his relationships in the art world including Ray Johnson, Andy Warhol, Valerie Solanis, his mother May Wilson, and many others.
Biographical / Historical:
Jonathan Katz is the director, Visual Studies Doctoral Program, Department of Art, University at Buffalo, New York.
Provenance:
Donated 2018 by Jonathan Katz.
Restrictions:
For information on how to access this interview contact Reference Services. Use of born digital records with no duplicate copy requires advance notice.
An interview of V. V. Rankine conducted 1990 Mar. 2-22, by Liza Kirwin, for the Archives of American Art.
Rankine discusses the evolution of her nickname, V.V.; discovering her dyslexia; growing up in Boston; auditioning for a part in, "The Philadelphia Story"; her art studies with Amedee Ozenfant from 1944 to 1946; her studies at Black Mountain College with Josef Albers and Willem De Kooning in 1947; her friendship with Morris Louis and watching him work; living with her brother-in-law Arshile Gorky, in New York City; her first one-woman show at the David Herbert Gallery in New York in 1962; exhibiting at the Betty Parsons Gallery in New York and at the Jefferson Place Gallery in Washington, D.C.; Robert Richman and the Institute of Contemporary Arts; the relationship between her painting and her sculpture; favorite shapes and materials; and her summer home in East Hampton and artist friends there. Rankine also recalls Robert Rauschenberg, Jack Youngerman, Manoucher Yektai, Betty Parsons, Ibram Lassaw, Buckminster Fuller, Elaine De Kooning, Arthur Penn, Richard Leopold, John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Ken Noland, Morris Louis, Ray Johnson, Kenneth Snelson, David Hare, Frederick Kiesler, Raphael Soyer, Moses Soyer, Jean Renault, Agnes Gorky, Esther Magruder, James Johnson Sweeney, Jim Brooks, John Graham, Phillip Guston, Duncan Phillips, Theresa Helburn, Augustine Duncan, Tom Downing, Gene Davis, Alice Denney, Nesta Dorrance, Kevin Merrill, Sam Gilliam, Dylan Thomas, Kay Halle, Kit Kennedy, Naum Gabo, President Lyndon B. Johnson, Anne Truitt, Wretha Nelson, Franz Bader, Louise Nevelson, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, Bonnie Newman, Alexander Russo, Walt Sheridan, Gilbert Kinney, Saul Sherman, Steve Pace, Lee Krasner, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
V.V. Rankine (1920-2004) was a painter and sculptor from Washington, D.C. Variable forms of the artist's name are notably E. R. (Elvine Richard) Rankine, Vivian Scott Rankine, and her married name, Mrs. Paul Scott.
General:
Originally recorded on 3 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 5 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hrs., 53 min.
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
An interview of Alison Knowles conducted 2010 June 1-2, by Judith Olch Richards, for the Archives of American Art's Elizabeth Murray Oral History of Women in the Visual Arts Project, at Knowles' home and studio, in New York, N.Y.
Knowles speaks of her family background; her father's (an English professor) influence on her education; her love of nature and isolation as a young girl; her French studies at Middlebury College; her transfer to Pratt Institute to study art; the social and academic environment at Pratt; her inclinations towards abstraction; her first marriage to Jim Ericson; her first studio at 423 Broadway; her early jobs as a commercial artist; her first gallery show at Nonagon, in 1958, and how she subsequently burned the paintings in that show; her second marriage to Dick Higgins in 1960; her Judson Gallery Show in 1962 and how she subsequently discarded those works; her involvement in the Fluxus group; her involvement with the "Cage class," and its early performances; her collaboration with John Cage on the book, "Notations" (1968); her collaboration with Marcel Duchamp on a print (1967); the circumstances surrounding her performance piece, "Make a Salad" (1962), her travels through Europe with Higgins; the birth of her twins; her computerized poetic piece and installation, "House of Dust" (1967) and how it was later vandalized; her move to Los Angeles to teach at CalArts; the rebuilding of "House of Dust" at CalArts; her move back to New York; the processes leading up to several projects and collaborations including "Loose Pages," "Big Book," "Bread and Water," and more; where she finds her inspiration; her thoughts on performance art; her studio environment in Barrytown, N.Y.; the influence and support of Germany on her work and Fluxus in general; her recent work, including "Identical Lunch"; and current challenges she faces as an artist.
She recalls Richard Lindner, Adolph Gottlieb, Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, Judy Chicago, Josef Albers, Dorothy Podber, Ray Johnson, Dick Higgins, Robert Rauschenberg, John Cage, Klaus Schöning, Jon Hendricks, Gilbert Silverman, George Maciunas, George Brecht, Jack Mac Low, Yoko Ono, Mieko Shiomi, Takako Saito, Joe Jones, Marcel Duchamp, Daniel Spoerri, Richard Hamilton, Nam June Paik, Charlotte Moorman, Helmut Becker, Coco Gordon, Jim Tenney, Cornelia Lauf, Rirkrit Tirvanija, Allan Kaprow, Simone Forte, Carolee Schneemann, Richard Teitelbaum, Miriam Schapiro, Miguel Abrau, James Fuentes, Cyrilla Wozenter, Kathy Kuehn, Ryszard Wasko.
Biographical / Historical:
Alison Knowles (1933- ) is an artist and a founding member of Fluxus in New York, N.Y. Judith Olch Richards (1947- ) is a former director of iCI in New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 5 mini discs. Duration is 5 hr., 45 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Occupation:
Conceptual artists -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
The papers of painter and educator Marion Greenstone measure 4.6 linear feet, and date from 1929-2014. The collection documents Greenstone's career through biographical materials, mixed professional and personal correspondence, writings and notebooks, exhibition and gallery files, teaching files, personal business records, printed material, sketches and sketchbooks, and photographs. The papers also include three motion picture films comprised of homemade footage created by Greenstone.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of painter and educator Marion Greenstone measure 4.6 linear feet, and date from 1929-2014. The collection documents Greenstone's career through biographical materials, mixed professional and personal correspondence, writings and notebooks, exhibition and gallery files, teaching files, personal business records, printed material, sketches and sketchbooks, and photographs. The papers also include three motion picture films comprised of homemade footage created by Greenstone.
Biographical materials include records from Greenstone's education, a birth certificate, organization membership papers, an interview transcript, and a transcript from a talk she gave in Bari, Italy, circa 1955. This grouping also includes three motion picture films. Correspondence is comprised of mixed professional and personal letters with friends, other artists, museums, and galleries. Of particular note is her communications with several fellow Cooper Union art department graduates including Ronnie (R. B.) Kitaj, Joseph Raffael, and Paul Thek. Writings and notebooks include artist statements, drafts of articles and reviews by Greenstone, course notebooks from her studies, daily notebooks, and travel diaries. Exhibition and gallery files consist of correspondence, loan agreements, shipping documents, as well as some price lists, photographs, and publicity material. Teaching files primarily pertain to her tenure at the Pratt Institute, consisting of lecture and classroom notes, student correspondence, administrative papers, and identification cards. Personal business records contain sales records, inventories, communications with art services and consultants, papers pertaining to grant and fellowship applications, and some commission files. Printed materials consist of exhibition material, press releases, some of Greenstone's reference material, articles and clippings both about Greenstone and written by the artist, and newsletters. Artwork includes several sketchbooks and loose sketches; some small paintings are included as well. Photographs are primarily snapshots and slides of the artist, friends, family, travel, and artwork.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged as 9 series.
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1931-2006 (Box 1, FC 7; 0.5 linear feet)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1954-2000 (Box 1; 10 folders)
Series 3: Writings and Notebooks, 1947-2003 (Box 1-2; 0.8 linear feet)
Series 4: Exhibition and Gallery Files, 1959-1992 (Box 2; 0.4 linear feet)
Series 5: Teaching Files, 1969-1992 (Box 2-3; 12 folders)
Series 6: Personal Business Records, 1951-1999 (Box 3; 12 folders)
Series 7: Printed Material, 1929-2014 (Box 3-4; 1 linear foot)
Series 8: Artwork, 1945-1992 (Box 4, OV 6; 0.5 linear feet)
Series 9: Photographs, 1954-1990s (Box 5; 0.4 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Marion Isaacson Greenstone (1925-2005) was a painter and educator in New York, New York.
Greenstone received her B.A. from Brooklyn College, completed an M.A. at Columbia University, and earned a diploma from Cooper Union. In addition to living in New York, Greenstone also took residences in Italy and Canada, exhibiting frequently in both countries well into the 2000s. Her initial time in Italy was under a Fulbright grant in 1954. While there, Greenstone studied painting and lectured on art. By the end of the decade she had moved with her husband to London, Ontario and gained noteriety there for her artwork. By the late 1960s Greenstone was back in New York working as a teacher for the Pratt Institute. Her activities were then divided between teaching, creating art, and exhibiting her work. During her career, Greenstone's work was included in museum and gallery group shows in the United States, Canada, and Italy, including ones held at the Schneider Gallery in Rome, Brooklyn Museum, and Royal Canadian Academy. She held solo exhibitions in Canada at the Park Gallery, Dorothy Cameron Gallery, and University of Western Ontario; and in the United States at the Bridge Gallery, Sixth Estate Gallery, and Long Island University. Her work can be found in various private and public collections including the Ontario Gallery of Art, Continental Telephone Crop., and the Art Gallery of London. After retiring in 1992 she traveled extensively throughout Europe with her husband, Myron, and others, and continued exhibiting and creating artwork until her death in 2005.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 2007 by Cora Hahn, Marion Greenstone's sister.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Marion Greenstone Papers, 1929-2014. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
An interview of Ray Johnson conducted 1968 Apr. 17, by Sevim Fesci, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Ray Johnson (1927-1995) was a painter from Locust Valley, N.Y.
General:
An interview of Arman (4/22/68) conducted by S. Fesci is also on this tape.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Topic:
Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- Interviews Search this
An interview of Richard Lippold conducted 1971 Dec. 1, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art. Lippold speaks of his family background and early life in Milwaukee; his early interests in art and music; early teachers; the impact of the Chicago World's Fair; studying industrial design at the Chicago Art Institute; designing machinery for an engineering firm; his travels in Mexico, Germany, and France; teaching at various institutions; his early sculptures; the development of his stylle; materials he uses; architectural commissions. He recalls Emiel Zettler, William R. Valentiner, John Cage, Jean Arp, Josef Albers, Ray Johnson, and Naum Gabo.
Biographical / Historical:
Richard Lippold (1915-2002) was a sculptor from Locust Valley, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hrs., 7 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Rights:
Authorizatin to publish, quote or reproduce requires written permission from Lenore Seroka. Contact Reference Services for more information.
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Photographers -- New York (State) -- Great Neck Search this
An interview of Manny Silverman conducted 2004 December 10-11, by Ann Ayres, for the Archives of American Art, in Los Angeles, California.
Silverman discusses his Russo-Jewish parents and his childhood as an only child in Los Angeles; working as a social worker before starting at the Ernest Raboff Gallery as a research assistant; starting Art Services with Jerry Solomon; opening his own gallery on La Cienega Boulevard; his LA dealer contemporaries; moving his gallery to Almont Drive; Maurice Tuchman's exhibitions at LACMA; the critic's denigration of younger Abstract Expressionists; and ideas on how artists are influenced by other artists. Silverman also mentions the political aspects of museums; his tastes in assemblage artworks; becoming involved in the Ray Johnson estate and how he handles the estates of the deceased artists he displays; his belief in the precedence of the artist's creation, not the ideas leading to the work; his anti-intellectual view of his profession; the positives and negatives of running a gallery with a narrow focus on Abstract Expressionism; the importance of classical art training, even for unconventional artists; the painting habits of certain Abstract Expressionists; Sam Francis's poster for George McGovern's 1972 presidential campaign; his thoughts on various LA-based curators; the role of his wife in his gallery; his perceived overemphasis on the 1960s LA art scene; and society's values in regards to artwork. Silverman also recalls Paul Schimmel, Paul McCarthy, Rudi Gernreich, Philip Guston, Edward Dugmore, Klaus Kurtess, Paul Kantor, Joan Mitchell, Nicholas Wilder, Gerhard Richter, David Stuart, Shaun Regan, Al Ruppersberg, Russell Ferguson, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Interviewee Manny Silverman (1941- ) is an art dealer from Los Angeles, California. Anne Ayres (1936- ) is a curator from Los Angeles, California.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 5 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 37 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Art dealers -- California -- Los Angeles Search this
Two collages by Johnson; an illustrated letter to Sylvia Wilkinson Murphy, editor of the MICHIGAN ART JOURNAL, May 6, 1976; a photograph of William Carlos Williams' hand; and printed material concerning the New York Correspondence School, 1970-1981.
Biographical / Historical:
Collage artist and painter; Locust Valley, New York. In 1962 Johnson founded the New York Correspondence School, a one-man art movement.
Provenance:
Donated 1976 and 1981 by Ray Johnson.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
The scattered papers of painter and collector Betty Esman measure 0.9 linear feet and date from 1936 to 1979. Found are artworks, artist files, biographical material, correspondence, photographs of Esman and others, printed material, and a mixed media scrapbook. Of note are files on Ray Johnson which include mail art addressed to and collected by Esman.
Scope and Contents:
The scattered papers of painter and art collector Betty Esman measure 0.9 linear feet and date from 1936 to 1979. Found are artworks, artist files, biographical material, correspondence, photographs of Esman and others, printed material, and a mixed media scrapbook. Of note are files on Ray Johnson which include mail art addressed to and collected by Esman.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Betty Esman (1904-1996) was a painter, collector, and art patron in New York City, New York. Esman studied at the Syracuse University College of Fine Arts and the Art Students League. In the 1950s, Esman taught painting at Ball State College. She maintained personal and professional relationships with artists Ray Johnson, Rufino Tamayo, Jacques Lipchitz and others.
Provenance:
Betty Esman donated her papers to the Archives of American Art in several installments between 1986 to 1994.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Art patrons -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Collectors -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
1 Reel (ca. 220 items (on partial microfilm reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Reels
Date:
1959-1969
Scope and Contents:
Ca. 200 personal letters and notes to Ultra Violet from John Graham, Ray Johnson, and John Chamberlain; a few photographs of Graham and Johnson; a few sketches by each of the three artists; and miscellaneous clippings, magazine articles, and exhibition announcements.
Biographical / Historical:
Actress; New York, N.Y. Born Isabelle Collin DuFresne.
Provenance:
Lent 1970 by Ultra Violet.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
56 items, almost entirely printed matter, consist of exhibition catalogues, announcements, books, pamphlets, newsletters, flyers, broadsides, calendar, prospectus cards, clippings, and posters generated by central and orbital figures associated with Fluxus: Allan Kaprow, Charlotte Moorman, Dick Higgins, Ray Johnson, George Maciunas, Peter Moore, and Richard Kostelanetz.
Biographical / Historical:
Wilentz was proprietor of the Eighth Street Bookshop; New York, N.Y.
Provenance:
Donated 2000 by Ted and Joan Wilentz. The papers arrived through Ted Wilentz's appraiser, William Morgan, who also signed the Deed of Gift.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.
A compendium of interviews for a project created by Kit Schwartz consisting of responses by 45 artists to the statement "People who live in glass houses should not throw stones" and responses from 90 artists to the question "Describe yourself as a person." Materials include sound recordings and corresponding transcripts of each response in two scrapbooks. Participants include Carl Andre, Arman, Robert Arneson, Sarah Charlesworth, Dan Graham, Ray Johnson, Ivan Karp, Joseph Kosuth, Nam June Paik, Andy Warhol, William Wegman, Lawrence Weiner, and others. Also included is a folder of background information on the project. The project was exhibited under the name "A New Portrait: A Semiographic Representation of Art During the Seventies" at the Marianne Deson Gallery, Ontario, Canada and the O.K. Harris Gallery, New York.
Biographical / Historical:
Kit Schwartz is a female author from Chicago, Illinois.
Provenance:
Transferred 2015 by Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Portrait Gallery Library via Anne Evenhaugen, Librarian.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.
Chuck Welch papers relating to mail art date from 1947-2019 and measure 4.2 linear feet. Included are letters to Welch received through the USPS and international mail systems and typed descriptions arranged alphabetically by sender/artist, and a 27-volume "Artistamp Archive"; contents of the 2019 'A Book About Death' 10th Anniversary exhibition with supplemental information. Notable figures including Dick Higgins, Ray Johnson, and John Held are among the hundreds of artists included in the collection. Some samples of mail art are composed of small objects, such as patches, plastic toys, feathers, and other three dimensional objects. A portion of the collection is in electronic format.
Biographical / Historical:
Chuck Welch (1948- ) is an artist, musician, and mail art historian in Peterborough, New Hampshire.
Provenance:
Donated in 2019 by Chuck Welch.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Ray Johnson, 1968 Apr. 17. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- Interviews Search this
Ray Johnson c/o edited and curated by Caitlin Haskell, with Jordan Carter ; with contributions by Jordan Carter, Colby Chamberlain, Jennifer R. Cohen, Johanna Gosse, Caitlin Haskell, Miriam Kienle, Brian T. Leahy, Ellen Levy, Solveig Nelson, Thea Liberty Nichols, and Michael von Uchtrup
Ray Johnson. Ray Johnson letter to Arthur Coleman Danto, 1985 March 24. Arthur Coleman Danto papers, 1979-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
